This month’s episode of AMA Air is sponsored by Malibu Shirts
Control Line World Cup of Australia – (1:48)
The 2026 Control Line World Cup of Australia took place April 29th through May 2nd, just before the 2026 FAI F2 World Championships for Control Line were to take place. While the World Championships were still ongoing at the time of recording AMA Air, Matt and Lee were able to reveal the winners of the World Cup. The events that took place were F2A, F2G, F2B, F2C, and F2D. Representing the United States, Alex Valishev and William Hughes placed 1st and 3rd respectively in F2A. In F2G, USA’s Dave Rigotti finished 3rd. The United States represented 1st and 2nd place in F2B thanks to the skilled flying of Orestes Hernandez and David Fitzgerald. And finally, Austin Minor, a junior competitor, placed 1st overall in F2D! The full results for the World Cup can be found online. Stay tuned for the next episode of AMA Air to hear the final results from the Control Line World Championships.
SEFF Week Recap – (4:16)
Lee details his recent visit to the Southeast Electric Flight Festival (SEFF) held at Hodges Field in Andersonville, Georgia. Over 245 pilots were registered for this year’s event, making for an exciting weekend! A highlight is the night flying, where dozens of model aircraft light up the skies at the same time, accompanied by fireworks. A detailed recap of Lee’s time at SEFF can be found on the RC Roundtable Podcast. If you missed out on all the fun from this year, don’t worry, because next year will be SEFF’s 25th anniversary which plans to be bigger and better than ever before with lots of exciting plans in place to celebrate. So be sure to join the fun next year!
7th Annual Jim Richmond Open – (8:25)
The 7th Annual Jim Richmond Open took place on April 10-15th in West Baden, Indiana, and saw 6 national and world records set in indoor Free Flight. Caleb Finn and Alexander Le both set junior records in F1D. However, in a fun twist, Alexander Le celebrated a birthday while at the event, and then was able to set a senior F1D record as well. Brett Sanborn set a world record in F1D and Hamish Christie set a national record in A-6. Congratulations to those competitors! Photo and video from the event can be seen in this album provided by the National Free Flight Society.
2026 AMA Scholarship Winners – (10:42)
Matt and Lee announced the 2026 AMA Scholarships winners. Congratulations to the following students:
- Seth Kirzeder: $5,400 [Charles H. Grant (CHG) Award] + $2,500 [Planesmen ATP Award]
- Gabriel Alamov: $4,680 [CHG Award] + $5,000 [Cliff & Nancy Telford Scholarship]
- Eric Bittman: $4,140 [CHG Award]
- Oscar Cytrynowicz: $3,780 [CHG Award] + $500 [Ryan M. Sherrow Award]
- Stephen Griggs: $3,240 [CHG Award]
- Drew Powell: $3,240 [CHG Award] + $5,000 [Planesman Engineering Award]
- Frank Lucci: $2,700 [CHG Award]
- Jack Satterfield: $2,520 [CHG Award]
- Dugan Doyle: $2,340 [CHG Award]
- Hannah Hartigan: $2,160 [CHG Award]
- Leah Shutic: $1,800 [CHG Award]
- Austin Ray: $500 [Dorothy & Basil Cooper Award]
The AMA is proud to support the next generation of STEM leaders and ambassadors for our great hobby.
Club of the Month – (13:41)
The Club of the Month for May is the RC ACES of North Hampton, New Hampshire. This year the club is celebrating its 50th anniversary! Their club’s flying site features a 400 foot tailored grass runway, 4 pilot stations, a working pit area, wind socks, shade hut with a grill and small refrigerator, and a solar battery charging station. To learn more about their club be sure to check out the club Facebook page or club website.
IFlyAMA Facebook Group – (15:17)
The IFlyAMA Facebook group is an online community for sharing useful tips, discussing model aviation news, and showing off your recent builds! A contest is held every month to determine the cover photo for the Facebook group. This month’s winning photo was submitted by Gregory Hahn, featuring his scale C-47. Michael Cox was the photographer.
“Newcomers” issue of Model Aviation Magazine – (17:58)
If you are new to the hobby, be on the lookout for the June 2026 issue of Model Aviation magazine! This issue is dedicated to newcomers to the hobby, with a focus on the basics of getting started in the world of model aviation. If you are a subscriber to the digital edition of the magazine, the newcomer issue will be available on May 15th.
Copilot Recognition Program – (19:08)
The AMA Foundation has created a brand-new Copilot Recognition Program. As hobbyists, it’s important to remember that while we enjoy the thrill of flight, we receive support in a variety of ways both near and far. Serving as timers, supportive spectators, snack suppliers, battery chargers, and more, our spouses, friends, and family become something crucial to our journey in model aviation: our most treasured copilots. The Copilot Recognition Program was created to celebrate those individuals. Each year, a well-deserving nominee from each AMA district will be awarded a District Copilot of the Year award! Out of these district awardees, an overall Copilot of the Year award will be given to a select individual. Be sure to nominate your copilot! Additionally, an online store was created with exclusive shirts for this program, with all proceeds going to the AMA Foundation Programs Fund which directly supports club grants and assistance, in addition to other charitable AMA programs and initiatives.
2026 National Fun Fly – (19:57)
The National Fun Fly has returned! Taking place from June 25-28 at the International Aeromodeling Center in Muncie, Indiana! With open flying, vendors, a swap shop, and raffle, the National Fun Fly has all the makings of a triumphant return! We look forward to seeing you out on site this June. Registration can be found online.
2026 Nats – (20:55)
Registration for the 2026 National Aeromodeling Championships is now open! This summer’s Nats will mark the 100th running of the event; you won’t want to miss this historic moment! To stay up to date on the Nats and join the conversation, check out the Nats Facebook page. To help celebrate this historic event, be sure to grab a commemorative shirt in the brand-new limited time pop-up shop.
For more information on the above topics and more, be sure to watch the full episode of AMA Air!